


final act

by luminessences



Series: got7 drabbles [1]
Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Actor Park Jinyoung (GOT7), Drabble, Gen, No Plot, Park Jinyoung (GOT7)-Centric, jinyoung is a little mean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26001151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luminessences/pseuds/luminessences
Summary: The boy’s eyes are as round as saucers as he stares at Jinyoung in disbelief. Jinyoung knows that this is right about when the younger’s thoughts ping-pong between pouring the rest of his coffee on Jinyoung’s shirt or simply walking away and doing his best to salvage what is left of his job and his reputation.;;short snippet actor!jinyoung self-reflecting on how he became who he is
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB & Park Jinyoung
Series: got7 drabbles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1887388
Kudos: 5





	final act

**Author's Note:**

> this isn't fleshed out at all unfortunately i can't write plot so we have this drabble

“Shit!”

_ Perfect,  _ Jinyoung thinks.  _ Really. Exactly what my day was missing. _

“I’m so sorry! I really am,” the poor intern stutters out, flushing a hot red. He reaches out to grab a nearby stack of napkins. “Here, let me help you out-”

“That won’t be necessary.” Jinyoung’s voice is razor sharp and cuts through the beginnings of the boy’s flustered tangent. “I can take it from here. I’ll make sure to let your superiors know about your little blunder, though,” he relates with a deceptive calmness. “You’ll be lucky if you have a job after.”

The boy’s eyes are as round as saucers as he stares at Jinyoung in disbelief. Jinyoung knows that this is right about when the younger’s thoughts ping-pong between pouring the rest of his coffee on Jinyoung’s shirt or simply walking away and doing his best to salvage what is left of his job and his reputation.

The boy chooses the latter.  _ Smart.  _ Jinyoung’s smile is deceptively sweet _.  _ The one he receives in return is tight. He hands over the wad of napkins and quickly looks away from Jinyoung’s artificial smile and his dispassionate  _ thanks. _

Jinyoung sighs as he uselessly dabs at the dark stain in the middle of his chest. That intern was lucky that the coffee wasn’t anything more than lukewarm. Had it been scalding, Jinyoung would have made a real scene right then and there.

“You didn’t have to scare that poor intern like that. He couldn’t have been older than a high schooler.”

Jinyoung scoffs at the familiar voice. “Whatever. You know I don’t mean it. Let’s just go home.”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Jaebeom exclaims. “Don’t give  _ me  _ that attitude. I so graciously offer to drive you home, and this is how you repay me? Unacceptable.”

Jinyoung doesn’t answer and continues walking briskly towards the parking lot. Jaebeom cheerfully hums under his breath the whole way, and Jinyoung smiles faintly at the familiarity of it. Once they make it to Jaebeom’s car, he promptly unlocks it and Jinyoung settles into the passenger seat.

“Fasten your seatbelt,” Jaebeom chides lightly while fiddling with the front view mirror.

“Yes,  _ Dad,”  _ Jinyoung answers, equally light. He clicks the seatbelt in place and turns to face Jaebeom who’s already sternly looking at him.

“You know,” Jaebeom starts as he pulls out of the parking space. Jinyoung rolls his eyes and leans back into his seat. He knows where Jaebeom is going to go with this. “It’s been years. Aren’t you tired of pretending to be this cold-hearted celebrity behind the scenes?” Jinyoung knows Jaebeom is being too generous. It’s been a long time since he’s needed to pretend to be cold-hearted. Now it’s simply second nature.

Jinyoung doesn’t reply, but Jaebeom knows better than to prod at an agitated, cornered Jinyoung for a response from experience. He has unfortunately been on the receiving end of Jinyoung’s misplaced emotions more than once. Jinyoung feels a pang of regret at the thought. He doesn’t want to think of the ways he’s mistreated his closest friend over the past decade.

Jinyoung gazes listlessly out of Jaebeom’s passenger window. Filming ended before midnight tonight, and Jinyoung watches the streetlamps zip past until they become a bright, continuous blur in his vision. It’s at a red light when Jinyoung considers answering Jaebeom’s question. 

Jinyoung can remember entering the world of entertainment bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the tender age of eighteen with Jaebeom by his side. Jinyoung’s mother gently caressed his face and commented on how _her_ _sweet boy_ was going to exceed everyone’s expectations. Jaebeom called Jinyoung soft because he let too many people walk over him. Early on, it became clear Jaebeom was right.

After a few years of being taken advantage of, no matter how much it went against his personal moral code, Jinyoung clawed his way up by any means necessary. And he both exceeded and succeeded. He’s become one of the most sought after and revered actors of his generation. But he stops and thinks at what cost? There’s no longer anyone breathing down his neck at every turn. There’s no one trying to sabotage him in order to steal a role. There are no more castmates with scathing words directed at him on the tip of their tongues. Jinyoung is at the top finally but for the life of him can’t figure out why he’s not willing to let go of the hardened, embittered part of his heart.

“It’s really over, isn’t it?” Jinyoung muses. “Having to act like a dick to get what I want. I don’t have to anymore.”  _ I haven’t had to in a long time. I don’t know why I still do. _

He’d managed to squander any real, meaningful connections with other people years ago. Jaebeom is the only real friend he has. He’s built up a reputation of being a handful to deal with. People dread working with him. He’s at the top, but it’s cold and isolated so high up. He managed to lose everything else in his blind pursuit of success.

Jaebeom quickly glances over at him before fixating his gaze back on the road. He smiles somberly, nearly sadly, and Jinyoung’s heart feels a little more constricted. 

“Yeah, Jinyoungie. It’s over. You can stop.”

It’s over, but Jinyoung doesn’t know how to stop.

The streetlights blur together once more before he closes his eyes and the world turns dark.

**Author's Note:**

> tysm if u actually read this i hope u have an amazing day


End file.
